Recyclable starch-based cooler panels
Fairview Pharmacy Services has partnered with StarchTech to switch from polystyrene shipping coolers to a non-toxic biodegradable cooler. Our new cooler panels are made with renewable resources, provide insulation equivalent to traditional polystyrene coolers, and are manufactured in the United States.
If you receive a shipment with the biodegradable cooler panels, you can dispose of them in two environmentally friendly ways:
- Compost them in residential composting settings such as your backyard or home compost, in industrial compost, or by residential pickup if available. Find your local composter.
- Recycle them with paper and corrugated materials. Recycling requirements may vary by area; contact your local recycler or waste hauler to confirm.
About the panels
The cooler panels are made with Green Cell FoamTM, a renewable corn starch material that offers a sustainable solution for thermal shipping materials. Green Cell Foam meets meets the American Society for Testing and Materials’ standards for biodegradability (ASTM D6400-04 and D6868).
By using these starch-based cooler panels, Fairview expects to eliminate up to 44,000 polystyrene coolers per year from our communities’ waste stream.
A partnership with our community
To assemble these coolers, we partnered with Merrick Inc., a local non-profit that employs adults with developmental disabilities. Crews consisting of clients and job coaches assemble the boxes and insert the starch panels before shipment.
Learn more about the starch-based material that our biodegradable cooler panels are made from.
Learn more about environmental sustainability at Fairview.
